


Whumptober 2020 - 02 - Taken

by Celticgal1041



Series: Whumptober 2020 [2]
Category: Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Stabbing, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:55:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26779234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celticgal1041/pseuds/Celticgal1041
Summary: It was the very definition of a bad day, all because of a little girl who’d been taken.
Series: Whumptober 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1949548
Comments: 11
Kudos: 49
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Whumptober 2020 - 02 - Taken

The young girl was only five years old, although Magnum was certain the current situation would be terrifying for anyone, regardless of their age. That the child was so young just made it worse for him, putting his already overactive protective streak into overdrive.

“Listen,” he said calmly, one hand upheld towards the woman as he pleaded with her to release her tiny hostage.

Mia de Luca was small for her age, having been a sickly child almost since birth until finally showing improvement shortly before her fourth birthday. It was clear that her parents doted on her based on the tear-filled, impassioned plea he’d received when hired by them to secure her safe return.

Per her kidnapper’s demands, the de Luca’s hadn’t contacted the police, but Mr. de Luca had wasted no time reaching out to his vast network of contacts to get the name of a trusted P.I. on the island they were currently visiting. Magnum’s name was the one he’d been given, and within hours of the girl’s abduction, he was feverishly tracking down every possible lead in an effort to stave off the inevitable ransom drop when Mia’s life would lose its value.

“You don’t need that knife,” Thomas continued, slowly bending forward to place his pistol on the ground while at the same time maintaining eye contact with the distraught kidnapper.

As far as nightmare scenarios went, this one ticked all the boxes. Opponent armed with a deadly weapon? Check. An innocent victim in harm’s way? Also check. The potential for things to go sideways in the most awful and permanent of ways? Huge check, and the one outcome that he absolutely could not live with and refused to accept.

“Why don’t you let Mia go?” Magnum suggested as he straightened, hoping his question and tone came across as sensible rather than desperate. 

The mix of outrage and fear that flashed across the woman’s face had Thomas figuratively backtracking as quickly as possible. “Okay, it’s okay, we can just stay like this a little longer if that’s what you prefer.”

Melissa Evans had endured a miserable existence. She’d grown up practically ignored by her drug addicted mother, and the only attention she’d received was the abuse heaped upon her by her drunken stepfather. She’d run away from home at the age of fifteen, only to find herself with a series of boyfriends who were nearly carbon copies of the man she’d escaped.

She was nineteen by the time she managed to clean up her act, having received some kindness and support from a pastor who helped the homeless get back on their feet. It was then that she’d gotten pregnant, only to lose the child in her sixth month after her boyfriend got high and beat her nearly to death. Deep inside Melissa’s psyche, something had snapped, leaving her irreparably broken and hopelessly lost - until she’d spotted Mia.

To her tortured mind, Mia was the child she’d never given birth to. As soon as she’d seen the young girl, she fixated on the child, determined to reunite with her no matter the cost. Somehow, she’d convinced her latest boyfriend to take the child, and so Mia was kidnapped. What Melissa didn’t know was that her partner, Stewart, had no dreams of fatherhood and had instead contacted the de Luca’s demanding payment for the child’s safe return. When Melissa had found out the truth, she’d completely lost her mind.

Magnum’s eyes darted briefly to Stewart’s still and bloody body, his chest nearly unrecognizable from the numerous stab wounds the woman had inflicted. Melissa was clearly unstable and extremely dangerous, and Thomas was determined that Mia wouldn’t suffer a similar fate.

From the edge of the room, Higgins fidgeted, waiting for any signal that she could make a move on the distraught woman, but Magnum’s earlier emphatic headshake had her rooted in place. Now, she was almost afraid to move, fearing that the spell her partner had managed to weave would be shattered, resulting in an act of desperation that would forfeit Mia’s short life. That knowledge did little, however, to temper her impatience, and her glance darted in Thomas’ direction once more as he began to speak.

“I know what you’ve been through,” he said, his tone infused with empathy at the grief Melissa had endured but never really managed to put behind her. “I understand why you did what you did.”

How could anyone understand, Higgins thought incredulously. Melissa was clearly completely off her rocker and needed to be behind bars so she wouldn’t hurt anyone else. Yet, Magnum’s words had a ring of sincerity about them that had Juliet believing her partner truly _did_ understand the young woman’s motivations.

“That pain you felt when you lost your baby, that’s exactly what Mia’s parents are feeling right now,” Thomas continued as he took a slow, careful step forward, closing the distance between them. When Melissa didn’t react, he went on and took another small step closer. “You’re a good person, Melissa. A good person, who’s had to deal with more than anyone should, and I know you wouldn’t wish your history on anyone else.”

Rage flared in Evans’ eyes and her grip tightened on Mia’s small body, prompting a high-pitched whimper from the tiny girl. “Why do you care?” she practically spat at the P.I. “Nobody cared when my mom neglected me, and I went to bed hungry. Just like they didn’t care when her latest loser husband decided to beat on me.”

“You’re right, Melissa. None of those things should have happened and none of them were your fault,” Magnum agreed, shuffling cautiously forward. “That’s why you have to let Mia go.”

“No!” Evans’ replied, her grip again tightening reflexively around the young girl, squeezing a small squeak of surprise from her.

Higgins’ gaze bounced between Melissa and Thomas, her fists clenched so tightly her nails were digging into her palms. She welcomed the discomfort, needing it to keep her grounded and to keep her frustration with the situation in check. Magnum had closed the distance between himself and Evans to less than two metres, but it was still much too far in her opinion.

Placing his foot in front of him yet again, Thomas tried once more to calm Melissa. “Yes,” he insisted, keeping his tone low. “You can let her go and let go of your own pain at the same time.”

A second passed before Magnum edged another foot closer to his target. “You don’t want to keep hurting, do you Melissa?” he asked.

Evans’ right hand trembled, shaking a few drops of still wet blood from the knife she was tightly gripping. Her eyes were wide and wild, but Thomas believed he was making progress, a new look of concentration having appeared on the young woman’s face.

Melissa’s eyes and hand both began to drop as she was drawn to look at the frightened child in her grip, but from Higgins’ perspective the act appeared threatening instead of curious and drew a sharp gasp of horror from her lips. Evans was startled by the sound that drew her gaze in Juliet’s direction, and for the first time since they’d entered the small house, Magnum was truly scared they might fail.

His fear propelled him forward, closing the gap between himself and Mia in three quick steps. Acting purely on instinct, he grabbed the child free from Melissa’s hold, immediately throwing himself sideways to remove them both from Evans’ reach.

Melissa shrieked in surprise and rage as her prize was snatched away, her entire focus now on the most recent man to hurt her. Thomas was only a couple feet away, hunched protectively over the small bundle in his arms, determined to protect her no matter what.

With another inarticulate cry of rage, she leapt forward to attack, her upraised right arm coming down swiftly to strike at Magnum’s unprotected back. His shout of pain momentarily merged with Melissa’s until the sound of a gunshot rent the air. Evans’ voice was abruptly cut off, and Thomas found himself suddenly flattened to the ground by the weight of her boneless form.

“Magnum!” Higgins cried as she ran towards them, praying she’d stopped the young woman in time. The brief moment in between Magnum’s desperate run towards Mia and Melissa’s act of outrage had left her little time to pull the pistol from her back, and she knew she hadn’t been fast enough to prevent Evans’ initial attack.

Thomas groaned at the hot burning sensation in his back, the pain of which only spiked as he tried to keep his and Melissa’s weight off his precious charge who was still curled beneath him. “Get ‘er off,” he moaned, hoping Higgins was able to hear his plea. Moments later Melissa’s weight disappeared, and he nearly collapsed forward in relief.

“Help me up,” he panted out, fairly certain he’d be unable to manage the task on his own while still cradling Mia in his arms.

Gently, Higgins gripped his upper arms from behind and then pulled his weight back onto his heels so he was effectively crouched in front of the young girl. “Are you alright, Mia?” Magnum asked, his dark eyes already running over the child’s face and body in search of injuries.

Mia bit her trembling bottom lip and offered a hesitant nod in reply. “Are you sure?” Thomas pressed, needing confirmation that she hadn’t been hurt. “Good,” Magnum breathed out, his gaze dropping momentarily as the tension bled from his body.

Watching the blood flow steadily from her partner’s back, Higgins came forward and crouched down in front of the child. “Mia, my name is Juliet. Thomas and I are here to bring you back to your parents. Shall we go sit down over there,” she motioned to a couch several feet away with her chin, “and give them a call?”

Mia offered another nod, this one far more energetic than the first. Higgins took the young girl’s hand and led her away, making sure to position her body so the child wouldn’t be able to catch a glimpse of her partner’s bloody back. Sitting down, she lifted Mia onto her lap, and then dialed the de Luca’s number before handing the phone to the girl.

“Hello?” Mia asked tentatively, her words tumbling out quickly as soon as she heard her parents’ voices. Higgins was only partly listening by then, her gaze firmly pinned on Magnum who still hadn’t made any attempt to move and continued to sit back on his heels partly hunched over.

“They want to talk to a grown up,” Mia said, holding the phone up for Juliet to take. Giving the girl a distracted smile, she took the phone and committed to meet the de Lucas at the police station. While they might have wanted to keep the police out of the situation earlier, there were now two dead bodies to explain, and there was no way of doing that without involving the de Luca family.

Higgins disconnected the call, her concern growing with each passing second. Magnum clearly needed help but there was no way she could leave a traumatized young girl on her own, especially given the presence of two dead bodies. As if reading her mind, Thomas called out to her. “It’s okay, Higgy, I can wait. Why don’t you call Gordon now and see if we can’t get some back-up out here.”

His voice sounded far too breathless and reedy for her liking, but she nodded in agreement, not even registering the fact that he’d be unable to see her response. She dialed Katsumoto’s number and the phone had just begun to ring, when the sound of sirens reached her ears. Hanging up, she adopted a tone far lighter than how she actually felt and said, “Sounds like one of the neighbors has already called the police.”

Magnum offered her a shaky nod, and Higgins noted the fine tremors that ran along the length of his back. Biting her lip with worry, she said, “I’ll just go outside and meet them, shall I?” Another dip of Thomas’ head was his only response.

Picking Mia up, she headed outside, immediately relieved when she recognized Gordon’s car as one of the two approaching vehicles. Katsumoto got out and headed straight for her, while she beelined for the uniformed officers instead, eager to pass off her charge. With a short explanation, she handed off the child and then addressed Katsumoto who was waiting impatiently off to one side. “Call an ambulance; Magnum’s been stabbed.”

“Damnit,” Gordon swore, his hand already reaching for his cellphone to dispatch help to their location. Higgins didn’t bother waiting for him to finish, confident the man would follow her inside as soon as he was done.

Magnum hadn’t moved at all and, this time, Higgins approached his front. Crouching down, she placed one hand gently on his shoulder, the action prompting the P.I. to lift his face to her gaze. His expression nearly took her breath away.

Thomas’ features were twisted in pain and his face was pale and covered in sweat. His breaths were shallow and far too fast, and it was obvious he was reaching the end of his endurance. “Hurts,” he breathed out.

The small admission spoke volumes. This was a former SEAL and a man who’d survived being tortured. For him to admit his pain now meant something was very badly wrong. Higgins looked around him for a moment, gauging the location of the wound based on the blood on his shirt and coming to a concerning conclusion: Melissa had most likely damaged one of his kidneys.

“Let’s lay you down,” she said, already shifting her hold to accomplish the manoeuvre. “You’ll be far more comfortable while we wait for the ambulance to arrive.”

Magnum’s only response was a low grunt. Higgins bore all of her friend’s weight as she deftly lowered him to the ground on his side, resolutely ignoring the small sounds of pain he was unable to contain. “There, isn’t that better?” she asked as she ran a hand gently along his cheek, unsurprised when he didn’t respond. “I’m going to find something to slow the bleeding,” she announced, wishing he’d at least open his eyes, which he’d most likely closed when she’d repositioned him.

Her search through the kitchen cabinets was short and she was back at his side in less than a minute, this time pressing a white towel to his back. “Sorry, I know it hurts,” she apologized as her actions forced a deep moan of pain from the injured man.

She started as Katsumoto arrived, the man obviously having been delayed by having to make arrangements for Mia’s return. He confirmed her suspicions as soon as he entered. “The girl’s on her way to the station to meet up with her parents.” Higgins gave a curt nod in reply. “How is he?” he asked, coming even closer and crouching down to have a better look at the blood-soaked cloth under Juliet’s hands.

Instead of answering, she offered a question of her own. “How long?”

“They’re three minutes out. Hanson will bring them straight in when they arrive,” he replied, Higgins’ question having answered his own.

The two sat in silence as Magnum’s blood continued to turn the towel in Higgins’ hand red until the paramedics rushed in two minutes later. Both grudgingly moved further away to give them room to work, but continued to hover and observe as they tended to the injured man.

After a short examination that had Magnum briefly rousing, the elder medic said, “Alright, let’s get him on the stretcher and transport.” The shift from hard floor to semi-soft mattress brought Thomas back, and he shifted unhappily at the feeling of hands on him as the medics attempted to strap him down.

“No,” he argued, pushing away another set of hands that tried to pin his arms down. He was clearly disoriented by what was happening, and the presence of unfamiliar faces drove him to panic.

As his struggles increased, Higgins strode forward, expertly slipping in front of one of the paramedics to take her place at Magnum’s side. “Hey,” she soothed, one hand on the side of his face. “It’s alright. They’re just trying to help you.”

The sound of her voice cut through his confusion and his uncoordinated movements stopped. Magnum’s eyelids fluttered once and then again, finally managing to focus on the woman looking down at him. “Jules?” he slurred out.

“Yes, it’s me,” she confirmed, not even chastising him for the nickname. “You’ve been hurt and need to go to the hospital.”

Magnum’s eyes seem to roll for a moment, and she thought he might pass out again. Instead his gaze refocused on her several seconds later, a new intensity settling over his face. “Okay?”

Juliet’s brow furrowed momentarily before she assured him, “Yes, I’m sure you’ll be alright.”

Thomas shook his head with more energy than she believed him to possess. “No,” he replied vehemently. “Mia? Okay?”

Her breath whooshed out of her at the question, her expression telegraphing her surprise at the focus of his concern. For a moment she considered berating him for not being more worried about himself, but then realization dawned, and she paused. This was just who Thomas Magnum was. 

While he might try to give the appearance of being happy-go-lucky and carefree, he cared deeply for those who crossed paths with him. It didn’t matter if he’d known someone for one hour or one year; if he decided you were worth protecting, there was no power on Earth that would deter him. Swallowing thickly, Juliet forced a smile to her face. “Yes, Mia is fine and on her way to reunite with her parents.”

“Good,” Magnum replied, his eyes already beginning to drift closed. “Tha’s good.” With that he lost his battle with unconsciousness, allowing the paramedics to finish their work and head out of the house.

As the stretcher was rolled out, Katsumoto caught Higgins’ eye and shook his head. “He’s quite something, isn’t he?”

The comment brought a genuine smile to Juliet’s face, no longer feeling like she needed to force it. “That may be the understatement of the century. Shall we?” she asked, indicating the door, and then walking through it as Katsumoto fell in behind her.

Their day may have started with the kidnapping of a small child, but it would end sitting around Magnum’s hospital bed. By some people’s standards, it was the definition of a bad day, but she was certain Thomas would disagree – all because a little girl who’d been taken would spend the night safely tucked into bed in the safety of her parents’ home. 

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Many thanks to AZGirl for proofing; all remaining mistakes are mine.
> 
> This story was based on the day 2 prompt: In the hands of the enemy: pick who dies / collars / kidnapped
> 
> Thanks for reading and I'd love to hear your thoughts if you're so inclined!


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